The Sainthia train tragedy in which nearly 66 people were killed and over 100 others were injured has cast a shadow on Mamata Banerjee’s rally on July 21. Sources said that some Trinamul Congress leaders suggested that the rally should be cancelled due to the accident. However, Ms Banerjee rejected the suggestion. She
however had to make a vital change in her programme. She has been forced to abandon her plans to celebrate her party’s civic poll victory on this occasion. She had earlier announced that this year, the Martyrs Day rally will be turned into Bijoy Diwas rally. “We will now observe the say purely as Shaheed Diwas. On this occasion, besides paying homage to the 13 Youth Congress workers who were killed in police firing in 1993, we will also mourn those who died in the train accident today,” the party state president Subrata Bakshi said.
The rally, however, has lost much of its sheen. Ms Banerjee who was planning to launch an all-out attack against the ruling CPI(M) in the rally, may now go on the defensive.
This time she is facing all round flak for the train tragedy.
Not just her Marxist detractors but even parties like the BJP, Lok Janshakti and RJD are also blaming her for the increasing number of train disasters.
“Didi would have gone on the offensive against the Left Front government and would have given a call for its ouster. Now she will be fending off criticism and taking pains to explain the spate of train mishaps,” a party MP added.
In her speech in the rally, Ms Banerjee is now likely to dwell at length at the conspiracy theory. She has already suggested foul play in the Sainthia accident. Therefore, she may go all out to blame the CPI(M) for it.
Even after the Gyaneshwari Express derailment on May 28, the railway minister had hinted at the CPI(M) hand in it although not just the state government but even the Centre had come to the conclusion that it was the handiwork of the Maoists.